An open letter from the Jewish Home

Did you know that one-third of the 10,000 Bay Area Jewish elderly rely on Jewish organizations to provide home health care, assisted living, residential services and kosher meal delivery? The Jewish Home of San Francisco, one of the Federation’s beneficiary agencies, has a longstanding tradition of serving our community. Read their open letter in response to today's economic challenges.

Special Needs Initiative takes root

Are you aware that 17% of children under the age of 18 have some form of developmental disability? This statistic translates into over 9,000 Jewish children Bay Area-wide. Disabilities, ranging from moderate to severe, include Autism Spectrum Disorders, learning disabilities, Attention Deficit Disorder, hearing or visual impairments, and physical disabilities – just to name a few.

The sad reality is that many of these children have been unable to participate fully in Jewish communal life because our community has lacked the resources to meet the special needs of these families; and stigmas and lack of knowledge have prevented the environments from being completely welcoming and inclusive.

In response, the Federation has established Special Needs as a top priority of our Caring Commission. The Federation is thrilled to be a partner and funder in a collaborative effort of ten organizations, congregations and schools in the North Peninsula to launch a pilot Special Needs Initiative with the goal of transforming synagogues and organizations into environments in which every person, regardless of ability, has the opportunity to be included in the life of the Jewish community, participating meaningfully in educational, social, cultural and spiritual programs.

Jewish Family and Children's Services (JFCS) is serving as the lead organization on this project, in partnership with the Jewish Community Federation, Peninsula Jewish Community Center, Peninsula Sinai Congregation, Peninsula Temple Beth El, Peninsula Temple Sholom, Congregation Beth Jacob, Ronald C. Wornick Jewish Day School, Chabad of the North Peninsula, and the Bureau of Jewish Education.

The Federation is proud to have made a lead gift of $120,000 toward this project. The organizational partners and JCF are currently working to raise the balance of funds needed for the initiative, with the hope of launching the program in 2009. The model will be piloted in the North Peninsula and will be evaluated for potential replication in other regions.

In its first year, the program is projected to directly serve 250 special needs children at seven institutions and impact over 10,000 members/participants in the North Peninsula community.

• centralized special needs services at the regional level
• professional development and curriculum strategies for teachers
• classroom specialists and aides for children
• support services for parents
• community education to raise awareness and build tolerance

North Peninsula plans Special Needs Awareness Shabbat services
As part of the local effort to raise awareness about the topic, North Peninsula synagogues have planned a Special Needs Awareness Shabbat for November 21 and 22. Sermons will focus on how special needs impact individuals in the community, and several children and adults with special needs will participate in Shabbat worship in various ways. The community at large is invited to participate in any of these services, regardless of membership:

For more information about the North Peninsula Special Needs Initiative, please contact Roxanne Cohen, North Peninsula Region Director, at 650.349.1523 or roxannec@sfjcf.org; and for information on the JCF’s efforts through the Caring Commission, Tara Mohr, Senior Planner at taram@sfjcf.org or 415.512.6424.

Welcoming and connecting interfaith couples and families

Interfaith marriage has changed the face of our Jewish community, with interfaith partners comprising 56% of married couples in the Federation's service area of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties. Almost half of our young adults, age 18-34, are in interfaith households, and as this number increases, a growing proportion of Jewish young adults will have a Jewish background that will be fundamentally different from older generations.

While many interfaith couples and families include some Jewish practice or connection in their lives, intermarried couples are far less connected to the Jewish community than couples with two Jewish partners. The Federation has responded to this growing demographic by making welcoming and connecting interfaith families and couples one of the five priorities of its Educating & Engaging Commission (EEC).

Recognizing that it is critical for our community to move forward in finding more strategic methods for determining and responding to interfaith programming needs, EEC is partnering with the Jewish Community Federation of the Greater East Bay to fund a strategic planning process. This initiative was launched in June and is due to be completed by December 2008. Participation by key stakeholders – the institutions, professionals, rabbis, and lay leaders who will implement the changes – is at the core of this undertaking. This strategic planning process will create a sound plan for ensuring that interfaith and unengaged families and couples throughout the Bay Area are touched by the Jewish community’s warmth and openness, making Jewish choices compelling for all.

Meanwhile, the Federation continues to fund and support independent and internal programs that offer services and outreach to interfaith families. The independent programs that the Federation currently supports have been helping interfaith families to make Jewish choices and each has been recognized as a significant “change agent” in its specific area of work:

Project Welcome provides Jewish communal professionals and lay leaders with consultation and training that encourages a receptive cultural climate for interfaith couples and families.

Interfaith Connections and Building Jewish Bridges provide educational and experiential groups in which individuals and couples make strong, positive connections to Judaism and Jews.

In addition, internal programs of the Federation have been created or expanded to provide outreach to the interfaith population:

Chai! Baby and PJ Library register children to receive free Jewish-themed children's educational tools, like books, CDs and welcome packages for newborns.

Parenting Matters are parenting discussion groups designed for interfaith and unaffiliated Jewish parents raising young children five years of age and younger.

Bridges, an interfaith e-newsletter, provides an extensive regional calendar of events of interest to interfaith families and couples.

Through the strategic planning process and its existing program support, the Federation's goal is to create a welcoming, accessible Jewish community for interfaith couples and families through integrated programming so that 80% report Jewish connection and affiliation in the next 10 years.

Give your child the Gift of Israel

Want to give your child the trip of a lifetime? You can! Through the Gift of Israel your child can experience two life-changing trips in one: the journey of Jewish identification, commitment, and connection, on the one hand, and memories to last a lifetime on the other.

“There is perhaps nothing as impactful and transformative for a Jewish teen than a summer trip to Israel," says Rabbi Josh Zweiback of Congregation Beth Am. "The gift of Israel helps to make this a reality for thousands of Bay Area teens.”

Bay Area synagogues and the Federation believe that supporting a trip to Israel for teens is one of the most important contributions they can make to help to ensure the future of a strong, vital Bay Area Jewish community. The Gift of Israel provides a collaborative savings program for such trips made possible by contributions from synagogues, the Federation, and parents to ensure that teenagers can travel to Israel.

"We joined Gift of Israel for all three of our children, and it has proven to be a great investment, particularly for our oldest, Rivka," says Lisa Kelly. She reports that the trip provided Rivka the opportunity, "to connect to the land and the culture of Israel, as well as learn Hebrew better and satisfy her high school language requirement." Subsequently, her daughter has continued to travel and stay active in Holocaust studies and in the Jewish community.

Once a child is enrolled in the Gift of Israel program, each of the partners (you, your synagogue, and the Jewish Community Federation) sets aside a minimum dollar amount for a specified number of years. When your child is ready to take his or her teen trip to Israel, you will have sizable savings to help underwrite the cost of that trip.

Who can enroll?
Any child in 3rd through 10th grade who is enrolled in Sunday school, Hebrew school, day school, or another approved course of Jewish studies and lives within the JCF service area is eligible to participate in this program. The service area includes San Francisco, Marin County, Sonoma County, and the Peninsula north of Sunnyvale. Those families who do not belong to a participating synagogue, but have a child enrolled in a qualified program of Jewish studies, may also enroll in the program – but will not receive the synagogue contribution.

The savings plan
There are two entry points to the Gift of Israel program: your child’s third grade and seventh grade years in school. Once you enter the program, contributions continue through 10th grade, as described below.

Using your savings to send your teen to Israel
Synagogue and Federation contributions may be applied towards an approved Israel Experience trip any time between your child’s sophomore year of high school and freshman year of college. An approved Israel trip must be at least five weeks in length, educational in nature, and for a peer group of young people who travel, learn, and experience together. It must be staffed by qualified personnel and structured with a predetermined itinerary.

Former participant Mia Newman used her savings for a Shalhevet (flame) trip. "Shalhevet was an enormously powerful experience for me, one which radically changed my perceptions of Israel. I went into Shalhevet lukewarm about Israel's politics, but walked out of it with an extraordinary new perspective and love for the welcome and unexpected peace I found there."

Rabbi Stephen Pearce, Senior Rabbi of Congregation Emanu-El agrees. "The Gift of Israel is truly a gift that connects children with the people, the culture, the sites and celebrations of Israel. The program has had a tremendous impact on the participants who have valued the opportunity that was presented to them."

For more detailed information about the trip and a list of participating synagogues, visit our website at www.sfjcf.org/israelandtheworld/giftofisrael.

Who had the best week ever? The School Twinning Program!

This month, for the first time, Israeli students from the Reali Matos Middle School in Haifa traveled to the Bay Area to meet their peers at the Wornick Jewish Day School in Foster City.

For one week, the students from both schools participated in mutual learning. From community service to athletics, from geography to math, students discussed their values, identities, and the importance of building real, personal and meaningful connections between Israel and America, Israelis and Jewish Americans.

Their mifgash (meeting) was the culmination of years of curriculum and relationship building between the two schools that actually started at a time when Israel education was leaving the Jewish day school lesson plans.

A few years ago, Brandeis Hillel Day School educator Zahavah Dahan noticed that her teachers had begun shying away from talking about Israel with their students. Further investigation revealed that although the teachers wanted to discuss Israel in their classes, they found the topic complicated given the intense conflict shown in the news. To alleviate the problem, the Israel Education Initiative through the Educators Leadership for Israel brought together Jewish day school teachers to expand the scope of their Israel lessons. This quasi-fellowship concluded with a trip to Israel where the “School Twinning” program was born.

This program pairs or “twins” Bay Area Jewish day schools with schools in Israel. Connections began first with the teachers and principles, who developed a joint curriculum to help teach important concepts that they felt they were not getting across successfully to their students.

The Israeli teachers wanted to impress upon their students the concept of Jewish pluralism, and to help their students became more knowledgeable about Jews living outside of Israel. While at the joint Shabbat retreat last weekend at the Marin Headlands, the students learned different Jewish practices and ways of “being Jewish.”

One of the students from Haifa commented, “Havdalah at the end of Shabbat in the Headlands with [8th grade lead teacher] Jackie and [cantor] Joel leading was amazing with all the candles! In our school, they don’t always remember or make time for Kabbalat Shabbat.” A fellow classmate chimed in, “I learned new tfilot…my parents will be very excited to hear all about it…”

Aside from the American educators wanting to teach about Israel, and the Israeli educators wanting to teach about pluralism, there was a third and overlapping component of their joint teaching goals, which was to cover what it is to be a Jewish person, and what one’s responsibilities are to fellow Jews.

To this end, the students met with Federation CEO Daniel Sokatch, President Jim Koshland, and Head of Campaign Nancy Grand; spoke with a survivor at the Holocaust Center; and explored the Contemporary Jewish Museum.

The connections between these schools were not just limited to teachers and students. Many parents opened their homes to the visiting students. Parent Caron Tabb wrote one evening, “I am sitting by my computer at home while three Israeli teens from the Reali school and my two children are all huddled around on Shai’s bed, laughing hysterically… It is as if there are no boundaries, walls have been broken down and the conversation is almost natural. The kids are a pleasure to have and it is so heartwarming to see what this special program can do to build a strong relationship between teens of both schools, between Jewish kids here and their relationship to Israel. Please never let the funds for this program run out!”

Beyond visiting the Wornick homes, the students also volunteered with the San Francisco Food Bank, visited Temple Emanu-El, and participated in a Service Learning study at the Bureau of Jewish Education.

As the week drew to an end, the students began reflecting on their newfound experience. “We were apprehensive at first and then we discovered that they are our friends…I can say that every single one is my friend…We really connected to life here and it is really sad to return…I will stay in touch by mail, email and instant messenger.”

Rachel Lewin, Head of Wornick’s middle school, noticed one phrase being repeated throughout the final day of the mifgash by both Reali and Wornick students, “This was the best week of my life.”

Another phrase she also heard was “l’hitraot” an Israeli expression for saying good-bye literally meaning “we will see each other.” And seeing each other they will. Since 2005, the 8th graders from Wornick have traveled every year to Israel for a face-to-face mifgash with their peers. This year will be no exception.

• To see pictures from this recent Israel Education Initiative School Twinning Program mifgash, please visit http://tinyurl.com/mifgash
• To read the San Mateo County Times article on the mifgash written by Christine Morente, please visit http://www.insidebayarea.com
• To watch a video of Twinning Program participants, please visit
  http://sfjcf.wordpress.com/2008/11/13/twin-video

Israel Education Initiative is a joint program of the Israel Center of the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties, the San Francisco based Bureau of Jewish Education, and the Israel Engagement Network (Makom) – founded by the Jewish Agency for Israel. The Initiative is supported by the Richard & Rhoda Goldman Fund, the Koret Foundation, the Jewish Community Federation, and the Bureau of Jewish Education.

Events

Author Judith Katzir Discusses 'Family Secrets'

Saturday, November 15, 2008
Stanford University, Annenberg Auditorium, Palo Alto (map)
Catch a special screening of "Family Secrets," an Israeli film based on Katzir's novella, Schlafstunde. Judith Katzir will present the film and discuss it with the audience.
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Chai Baby South Peninsula Family Playgroup for 14-21 Months Old

Sunday, November 16, 2008
Private home, Please rsvp for address, Sunnyvale
Meet other Chai Baby families. Bring a vegetarian dish to share. RSVP to Debbie Taback, dctaback@yahoo.com or 650.533.8110.
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BLC/JVS Career Panel: Operations, Administrative & Support Staff

Thursday, November 20, 2008
Jewish Community Federation, 121 Steuart Street, Koret Boardroom, San Francisco (map)
This is a special career support seminar for operations, administrative, and support staff, featuring speakers Betsy Baum, Workforce Development Manager, Office of Economic and Workforce Development, County of San Francisco, and career consultant Mark Guterman.
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Tel Aviv In Motion Film Club Presents: Tel Aviv Stories

Sunday, November 23, 2008
The Ninth Street Independent Film Center, 145 9th St., San Francisco (map)
Tel Aviv in Motion is a fascinating series of about ten films that tell the Tel Aviv story in celebration of Tel Aviv's 100th anniversary.
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Harvey Milk's Call for Equality!

December 1, 2008
Sundance Kabuki Cinemas, 1881 Post Street, at Fillmore, San Francisco (map)
In the spirit of everything that Harvey Milk represents to us as a Jewish community, join us as we listen to an empowering group of speakers, watch the film Milk and participate in the post-film reception.
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2nd Annual Jewish Volunteer Day!

Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Bill Graham Auditorium, 99 Grove Street, at Civic Center, San Francisco (map)
Give a day to San Francisco! Give a day with our Jewish community! Join Bay Area Jewish Community volunteers at Project Homeless Connect to support lasting solutions for these individuals in need.
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